Displaying items by tag: hires - StereoLife Magazine

JPLAY has received a major update that expands the app with one of the most requested features in its recent history - full support for the HQPlayer library. For hi-fi users, this may be a more significant change than a simple feature list would suggest, because JPLAY has never positioned itself as just another app for playing music. From the beginning, it has functioned as a specialized control center for listeners using streamers, network DACs, services such as Qobuz, Tidal and HighResAudio, and local UPnP libraries. Now it adds the ability to browse and control an HQPlayer library directly from within JPLAY, alongside dynamic Smart Playlists, a completely new History screen with a calendar view and several refinements based on community feedback. The update is available in the latest version of the app as a free upgrade for existing users through the App Store.

Astell&Kern has introduced the PD20, a new premium portable audio player that combines the Korean brand's familiar idea of a self-contained high-end source with unusually advanced sound personalization. In an era in which many listeners use a smartphone as their main music device, such a product may seem like a niche proposition, but this is precisely the field in which Astell&Kern has built its reputation over the years. The PD20 is not another all-purpose gadget. It is a dedicated player for users who want a local hi-res music library, high-quality headphone outputs, a serious DAC section, support for high-resolution formats and the ability to adjust the behavior of the amplifier stage to suit different headphones.

Advance Paris has introduced the Nova series, a new flagship platform of hybrid integrated amplifiers designed to function as complete control centers for modern stereo systems while preserving the company's established tube-assisted analog architecture. Positioned above the Classic and Apex ranges in the manufacturer's lineup, the Nova platform represents Advance Paris's most ambitious integrated amplifier concept to date. The series includes two amplifiers - the A-i130 and A-i190 - together with optional streaming and Bluetooth expansion modules and a dedicated rotary remote controller. First previewed at High End Munich 2025, the lineup is scheduled to make its North American debut at AXPONA 2026, with global availability expected from May 2026.

FiiO has expanded its lineup with the M33, a portable digital audio player built around the company's proprietary R2R ladder DAC architecture, a solution previously associated mainly with stationary designs. The new DAP combines this classic digital-to-analog conversion topology with an Android 13 platform and a fully developed headphone amplification stage, positioning the M33 as a mobile source for listeners seeking a more analog-leaning presentation without sacrificing modern functionality. "M33 represents our vision of bringing the magic of analog sound into the user's pocket. By implementing our proprietary R2R architecture, we achieved a level of naturalness and fluidity that cannot be replicated by conventional methods. This is a product for those who look for emotion and authenticity in music." - explains James Chung, Product Director at FiiO.

Matrix Audio has introduced the ND-1, a new digital-to-analogue converter in the company's N Series, conceived as a dedicated source component for advanced stereo systems and headphone-based desktop setups. Rather than treating the DAC as one function inside a wider all-in-one platform, Matrix Audio is positioning the ND-1 as a focused, purist design built around one core objective - high-performance digital decoding with a degree of tonal flexibility that remains relatively unusual in this category. Officially unveiled as part of the complete N Series line-up in March 2026, the ND-1 joins the NT-1 digital audio transport and the NA-1 headphone amplifier to form what Matrix describes as a premium desktop separates system.

In the age of streaming and digital audio files, one might think that listening to music has never been simpler. In practice, however, especially for more demanding users, it remains a surprisingly complicated business, particularly when we want to combine the convenience of using a smartphone with the capabilities of more advanced audio equipment. When it comes to managing music playback, we usually have two options. The first is to use the app provided by the streaming service itself - quick and intuitive, but offering only basic functionality. Better control over sound or more advanced options are out of the question, and on top of that our player must be compatible with a given app and hold the right certification for it to appear on the list of available output devices at all. The second option is to turn to external software such as Audirvana, Roon or apps supplied by hardware manufacturers such as BluOS, Lumin or Auralic. This is where the trouble begins as well. Either something important is missing, or the app turns out to be clumsy and unstable, or it is excellent, refined and versatile, but expensive. What is missing is a single standard and a common language. Every company goes its own way - some build their own closed ecosystems, others support already existing platforms, and some seem to be waiting, although it is not entirely clear for what. As a result, the user has to improvise and navigate between all these options, which often ends with the use of several different apps. One streamer appears in the streaming service app, another does not. One supports all the popular standards, while with another the wait for certification has already dragged on for a year, and nobody knows whether customers will ever get it. One proprietary app turns out to be polished, another is irritating at every turn. And yet it was all supposed to be so elegant... Streamers, DACs and all-in-one systems are still evolving relatively quickly, but when it comes to apps, the last real breakthrough was Roon, which arrived on the scene ten years ago. That software has also continued to evolve, though perhaps not as quickly as some would like. Meanwhile, a very serious rival has emerged right under our noses. Meet JPLAY.

FiiO has introduced the Echo, also known as the Snowsky Echo, a compact high-resolution portable music player designed as a deliberately simple alternative to smartphones for offline listening. The device reflects a broader return to dedicated music players focused on distraction-free playback, combining styling inspired by classic cassette Walkman-style devices with a modern dual-DAC audio architecture. It is aimed at listeners who want access to hi-res audio on the move without relying on streaming apps or multifunction mobile platforms.

There are now two parallel trends becoming increasingly visible in the portable audio market - a renewed interest in physical media and a growing appetite for digital conversion methods associated with a more traditional, more "analog" presentation. The FiiO DM15 R2R sits squarely at the intersection of those two ideas, combining the format of a portable CD player with an advanced R2R DAC and a feature set more commonly associated with modern network players and desktop DACs. It is aimed at listeners who do not want to give up their compact disc collections, but still expect serious output power, a balanced signal path, USB DAC functionality and high-resolution wireless transmission. At its current market positioning, the DM15 R2R enters a category in which genuinely audiophile-minded portable CD players remain relatively rare.

Astell&Kern is one of the most recognisable brands in the high-resolution portable player segment. The company built its reputation on advanced Android-based digital audio players designed to combine high sound quality with support for streaming services and a distinctive angular industrial design. The A&ultima line serves as the manufacturer's flagship series, where its most sophisticated technical solutions typically make their debut, including complex DAC configurations, elaborate headphone amplification stages and proprietary technologies intended to improve signal processing and reduce noise. Limited editions of these players have long attracted particular attention, and because copper is a material that carries strong positive associations in the hi-fi world, the standard A&ultima SP4000 is now joined by a special A&ultima SP4000 Copper version. According to the manufacturer, copper has been used not only for visual impact but also as a component intended to influence the sonic character directly. The new model is aimed at listeners who treat a portable player as a fully fledged high-end source in any listening environment.

Roksan is expanding its Caspian Series 4G electronics into a fully modular ecosystem, bringing streaming, pre-amplification and power amplification together under one design and engineering philosophy. The award-winning range, originally introduced with the Caspian Streaming Amplifier and Integrated Amplifier, now gains two new models - the Caspian Streaming Pre-Amplifier and Caspian Power Amplifier. Hand-built at Monitor Audio Group's headquarters in Rayleigh, Essex, the new components are designed for listeners who want to separate control and amplification, build more ambitious stereo systems or move towards mono-block configurations while staying within the Caspian family.